So yeah, the two remaining birds want nothing to do with their old coop and house-- they come up on the porch in the evening, hop up on the brick ledge and peer in window at us. Eventually settle in a wicker laundry basket that's out there. I figure what the hell-- they're grieving their mate-- and move them from there into the garage so they'll be safe. Do this a few nights then eventually start relocating them back in the pen.
Part 2: I wake up thursday morning 4am, gretch saying "the chickens are making noise..." Slowly come out of my sleep and yep-- they're making noise. Not normally. I get on some layers and put on shoes and pad out there-- one is pacing right there by the door, clearing wanting out. I can't see the reason, but look up with my headlight and see the other lying there by the pen, tore into... I open the door and the one live bird darts past me cackling, I can't catch her. Look around the coop, then finally up where I see a huge raccoon above on the ledge, unable to leave, waiting and watching me. I leave him be and get the dog back inside before she sees. Nothing to be done about that scene but leave him to finish his meal and go, or stupidly engage in a nasty battle. I choose the former, then return an hour later to dig a hole for my the old girl by headlamp. Another one down.
So now it's just Henrietta. We dismantle the yard and free up the house-- it's big and unwieldy but I manage to get it up on top of a wheelbarrow, which is both ridiculously and unwieldy. With help from gretchen, then aliza to boot, we slowly pull the thing across the top of the backyard, then guide it down to its new location atop three pine stumps on the north side of the yard, where it can get lots of low-angle winter sun.
Henrietta is back at the window come sundown. She walks the perimeter of the kitchen and living room on the brick ledge, peering in at us and pecking the class. Arrives at the front door. Eventually returns to the back door. Gretch decides to let her in: small kitchen with dinner cooking, one dog one cat two adults two kids looking on as the one lone hen left at the Nitschke/Roberts household ambles in and has a look around. We walks around the island then looks up at the stove and quickly identifies it as her evening roost. She bends down in preparation for the hop up: I holler at Gretchen to head her off-- we got dinner going up there! Eventually corral her back out the door where I grab her and pop her into her newly relocated house.
Had to go check on her an hour later-- she was just crouched on the floor, refusing to jump up to her perch. Then I may need to smudge the house to get things right for her. Schlaf gut, Henrietta!
Alright boys-- H, S, and E-- I know yous all gotta lot of interesting developments going on, care to log a few paragraphs?
Happy Sunday to ya
Part 2: I wake up thursday morning 4am, gretch saying "the chickens are making noise..." Slowly come out of my sleep and yep-- they're making noise. Not normally. I get on some layers and put on shoes and pad out there-- one is pacing right there by the door, clearing wanting out. I can't see the reason, but look up with my headlight and see the other lying there by the pen, tore into... I open the door and the one live bird darts past me cackling, I can't catch her. Look around the coop, then finally up where I see a huge raccoon above on the ledge, unable to leave, waiting and watching me. I leave him be and get the dog back inside before she sees. Nothing to be done about that scene but leave him to finish his meal and go, or stupidly engage in a nasty battle. I choose the former, then return an hour later to dig a hole for my the old girl by headlamp. Another one down.
So now it's just Henrietta. We dismantle the yard and free up the house-- it's big and unwieldy but I manage to get it up on top of a wheelbarrow, which is both ridiculously and unwieldy. With help from gretchen, then aliza to boot, we slowly pull the thing across the top of the backyard, then guide it down to its new location atop three pine stumps on the north side of the yard, where it can get lots of low-angle winter sun.
Henrietta is back at the window come sundown. She walks the perimeter of the kitchen and living room on the brick ledge, peering in at us and pecking the class. Arrives at the front door. Eventually returns to the back door. Gretch decides to let her in: small kitchen with dinner cooking, one dog one cat two adults two kids looking on as the one lone hen left at the Nitschke/Roberts household ambles in and has a look around. We walks around the island then looks up at the stove and quickly identifies it as her evening roost. She bends down in preparation for the hop up: I holler at Gretchen to head her off-- we got dinner going up there! Eventually corral her back out the door where I grab her and pop her into her newly relocated house.
Had to go check on her an hour later-- she was just crouched on the floor, refusing to jump up to her perch. Then I may need to smudge the house to get things right for her. Schlaf gut, Henrietta!
Alright boys-- H, S, and E-- I know yous all gotta lot of interesting developments going on, care to log a few paragraphs?
Happy Sunday to ya
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